Novo Nordisk's decision to terminate its relationship with telehealth company Hims & Hers over its continued use of compounded GLP-1 injectables for weight loss is a step in the right direction, Long Island obesity experts said.

Dr. Michael Kaplan, who runs the private practice Long Island Weight Loss Institute in Port Jefferson, said, "I'm very much against the compounded products."

Kaplan, who also runs other locations throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties, said the compounded drugs, or off-label versions of GLP-1s, have not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and may not be safe. 

Additionally, Kaplan said that in recent weeks, pharmaceutical companies including Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have lowered the prices of the FDA-approved injectables.

Novo Nordisk announced in a press release Monday that it had pulled its semaglutide, Wegovy, from Hims & Hers, alleging it was selling compounded drugs as "personalized" versions to customers. Hims describes personalized versions as a GLP-1 injection tailored to health history and weight loss goals.

Novo's announcement caused Hims stock to plunge 34% Monday, while Novo's stock dropped by 5.5%, according to Yahoo Finance. 

GLP-1 agonists, commonly referred to as GLP-1s, are medicines that help regulate blood sugar levels, reduce appetite and encourage increased feelings of fullness after eating by slowing down digestion. Nearly 4 in 10 people surveyed in a May 2024 poll by nonprofit health policy research organization KFF said they’ve taken a GLP-1 solely for weight loss. Long Island residents interviewed by Newsday said they've had success with GLP-1s. However, the drugs face concerns over affordability, insurance coverage and potential side effects, Newsday has previously reported.

Novo Nordisk had been providing Hims & Hers with the FDA-approved Wegovy used for weight loss since late April in order to transition patients off compounded drugs, according to the news release.

The FDA had temporarily allowed compounded GLP-1s to be prescribed in 2022 due to a shortage of the drugs. The shortage ended in early 2025 and the FDA allowed a grace period for the compounded medications to be prescribed until late April.

"Novo Nordisk is firm on our position and protecting patients living with obesity,” Dave Moore, executive vice president of U.S. operations of Novo Nordisk, said in the release. “When patients are prescribed semaglutide treatments by their licensed health care professional or a telehealth provider, they are entitled to receive authentic, FDA-approved and regulated Wegovy. ... When companies engage in illegal sham compounding that jeopardizes the health of Americans, we will continue to take action."

Hims & Hers CEO Andrew Dudum took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to express the company's disappointment in the move Monday.

"In recent weeks, Novo Nordisk’s commercial team increasingly pressured us to control clinical standards and steer patients to Wegovy regardless of whether it was clinically best for patients," Dudum said in his X post. "We refuse to be strong-armed by any pharmaceutical company’s anticompetitive demands that infringe on the independent decision making of providers and limit patient choice."

Neither Novo Nordisk nor Hims & Hers could be reached for comment Tuesday.

Wegovy is the third-highest selling GLP-1 globally, with about $8.5 billion in sales globally, according to Morningstar Research Services LLC, a financial services firm in Chicago. 

"Pharmaceutical companies have lowered prices so much that compounded drugs don't even make sense now," Kaplan said, noting that an initial dose for Wegovy can be as low as $199  with insurance, down from $1,200 a few months ago.

Hims' compounded GLP-1s start at $165. 

Dr. Louis Aronne, an obesity specialist at Weill Cornell Medicine in Manhattan, cautioned that the compounded drugs are not legal.

“These are powerful drugs that are more effective than anything we’ve ever had. People want it to be easy but that’s not the way to use these best,” Aronne said. “Anyone who is getting a compounded product online through a telehealth company ... that’s technically not legal and I would avoid that.”